On Saturday, May 25, over 11 crore voters will participate in the penultimate phase of the Lok Sabha elections across six states and two Union Territories. This phase is set to determine the fate of 889 candidates contesting in 58 seats. The final phase of voting is scheduled for June 2, with the vote counting set for June 4.
Key States and Prominent Candidates in election
In this crucial phase, polling will take place in 58 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir. Noteworthy candidates in the fray include BJP leaders Maneka Gandhi and Manoj Tiwari, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti, and Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar.
Haryana: All 10 Lok Sabha election seats in Haryana will see voters casting their ballots. Among the high-profile candidates, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar is contesting from Karnal, BJP’s Rao Inderjit Singh from Gurugram, and industrialist Naveen Jindal, who switched from Congress to BJP, from Kurukshetra.
Uttar Pradesh: Fourteen constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will vote in this phase. Notable contests include Azamgarh, where BJP’s Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Dinesh Lal Yadav “Nirahua” faces Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav.
West Bengal: The state’s tribal belt, Jangal Mahal, will see voting in eight constituencies, including Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur. The BJP, which won five of these seats in 2019, aims to consolidate its position, fielding prominent candidates like Abhijit Gangopadhyay in Tamluk against TMC’s Debangshu Bhattacharya.
Delhi: All seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will vote in this election phase. The national capital’s electoral battle includes high-profile names such as BJP’s Manoj Tiwari, Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar, and AAP’s Somnath Bharti. The BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, is also contesting from the New Delhi seat.
Jammu and Kashmir: The Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, where polling was postponed from May 7 due to adverse weather, will see PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti contesting against National Conference’s Mian Altaf Ahmad.
Lok Sabha Elections in other States and Contests
Bihar: Eight seats in Bihar will go to the polls. The competition includes prominent candidates like Kanhaiya Kumar, who previously contested from Begusarai in 2019 and lost to BJP’s Giriraj Singh.
Jharkhand: Four constituencies in Jharkhand will vote. The state, governed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led alliance, presents a crucial battleground for both the BJP and the opposition.
Odisha: Six seats in Odisha will witness polling, alongside 42 Assembly constituencies for the State Legislative Assembly. Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan is among the key candidates seeking a seat in the Lok Sabha from Sambalpur.
Electoral Dynamics and Historical Context
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP-led NDA dominated Phase 6, winning 40 of the 58 seats, while its allies secured five. The opposition, including Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, failed to make significant inroads, with the BJP securing a substantial 51.36% vote share compared to the opposition’s 28.66%.
Delhi, a stronghold of the local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saw fierce competition in previous elections, with the BJP sweeping all seats in both 2014 and 2019. The region’s political climate remains charged, with AAP joining forces with Congress to challenge the BJP’s dominance.
ALSO READ: IPL 2024 Qualifier 2: SRH vs RR Predicted Lineup, Head To Head, Pitch Report and Who will win?
The elections occur amid significant political stakes, with parties focusing on critical issues such as economic distress, employment generation, and farmers’ welfare. The BJP, ruling Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, faces scrutiny over its handling of the 2021 farmers’ agitation, with allegations of favoring corporate interests over farmers’ welfare.
)
In West Bengal, identity politics and local issues dominate the narrative, particularly in the tribal regions. The TMC and BJP are locked in a fierce battle for supremacy, with the BJP aiming to capitalize on its previous gains.
Voting Logistics and Turnout
Voting will commence at 7 am and conclude at 6 pm, with provisions to extend polling hours to accommodate all voters in the queue by closing time. The first five phases witnessed varying voter turnouts, ranging from 60.5% to 67.3%.
Governing Dynamics in Polling States
The BJP governs Uttar Pradesh and Haryana outright, and Bihar in alliance. Odisha is under the NDA-aligned Biju Janata Dal (BJD), while Jharkhand is governed by the INDIA alliance led by JMM. The TMC governs West Bengal, and AAP governs Delhi. Jammu and Kashmir is under direct central government administration.
The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is pivotal, with significant electoral battles across key states and Union Territories. As voters head to the polls, the outcomes of these 58 seats will significantly shape the political landscape leading into the final phase of voting and the subsequent counting of votes on June 4.
